The invention provides for an adjustment arrangement for a camera, especially a camera enclosed by a housing, e.g. a dome camera. Particularly, the adjustment arrangement is suitable for horizontally adjusting the optical train of a camera. This camera can be mounted to a wall or ceiling or even to an inclined plane.
Furthermore, the invention provides for a camera arrangement comprising such an adjustment arrangement.
Adjustment arrangements for a camera are used for firmly mounting the camera to a plane, e.g. a wall or a ceiling. The adjustment arrangement used should be able to allow for adjusting the camera after installation. This is particularly important for a camera enclosed by a housing, e.g. a dome camera.
A dome camera is a monitoring camera used in a protective system. Usually, the dome camera is incorporated within a hemispherical shaded dome made of plastics. Said dome is provided for protecting the camera against damage and vandalism.
Dome cameras have been used at flashpoints as well as in public means of transport both interior and exterior. A main advantage of such a dome camera is that it is not possible to determine the orientation of the camera hidden by the shaded dome.
Document EP 1 729 269 A1 discloses a dome with optical correction for use in a vandal proof surveillance camera system. The dome comprises a transparent optical material, which itself comprises an inner surface and an outer surface. Both surfaces are essentially rotational symmetrical and exhibit non-spherical shapes. Said dome is used in a vandal-proof surveillance camera system comprising said dome and a camera being pivotably mounted inside the dome.
It is to be noted that optical train is also referred to as optical assembly and is the arrangement of lenses to guide the line of sight. The position and angle of lenses are adjusted to guide the line of sight through the path required.
A main problem in dome cameras is that it is difficult to be able to adjust the horizontal “tilt” after or during installation of the camera. When the camera is mounted to a wall or ceiling or even under an inclined or angular surface, the horizontal adjustment corrects the horizontal tilt angle (angle of view) of the complete optical train in the camera by simply pushing and rotating the sprocket stick, which will drive a gearwheel to set or correct the angle.